


6 beers and a park bench later

by lost_in_a_nebula



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Superhusbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-06
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 17:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/750917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_in_a_nebula/pseuds/lost_in_a_nebula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony seeks comfort in the night, and comfort approaches him differently to all the other times.</p>
            </blockquote>





	6 beers and a park bench later

Tony was alone in the park, beer in hand, trying not to think about what he’d just done.

It was the early hours of the morning, he’d royally pissed off anyone that would ever consider coming out to find him and while he didn’t really care, he fancied some comfort right now. That’s why he had a pack of beers and the night sky to listen to him drone.

“Are you okay, mister?” Someone asked, he looked up – it was a girl, he didn’t recognise her, she looked fairly young. But she didn’t address him by name so he figured she was harmless.

“No, you?”

“Not really. Don’t suppose you’d fancy sharing one of those beers? I spent all my money.”

“Sure.” Tony shrugged. She sat next to him, taking a beer and sipping it in silence.

“What’s up with you then?”

“I’m a dick with an alcohol problem, too much money and the perfect man that I keep accidentally pushing away because of my commitment issues and crippling Daddy problems. You?”

“I’m in love with someone who will never love me back. But it sounds overwhelmingly pathetic now that we’ve shared.”

“How do you know he’ll never love you back?”

“That’s what he just said. In front of about 50 people, at _my_ birthdayparty.”

Tony thought really hard about a sympathetic response, but all he could muster without sounding patronising was: “Sounds like something I’d do.”

“If you had an alcohol problem surely you’d have more than 6 beers?”

“You don’t even want to know how many I had before that.”

“Okay. How much money have you got?”

“Billions.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. Don’t even ask about the perfect man because I might just curl up and cry like a baby and that’s something I’ve done once too often in public places.”

“Oh I can talk to you about the perfect man. He’s got great hair, really nice blue eyes; he’s overwhelmingly kind but still knows how to crack a joke about a bitch.”

“Are we talking about the same perfect man?”

“From what I can tell, yours is still waiting at home for you. Mine just tore my heart out on my 26th birthday.”

“Yeah. Steve will be at home. See, I’ve done this a thousand times before but it doesn’t get an easier. The first time must be tough.”

“I don’t think there will be a second time.”

“Neither did I the first time. You’ll be okay kid.”

“I hate to argue, but I don’t think I will Mister.”

“Why not?”

“There’s nothing left.”

“Just because one boy-”

“No, that was just the tip of the iceberg. _This_ is the band still playing while the ship sinks.”

“What’re you going to do?”

“Get away. New name, new hair – pretend I never existed, become a new person.”

“That doesn’t sound like a solution.”

“What does it sound like?”

“Running away.”

“Running’s always helped.”

“Running just means the pain will linger. Hiding it won’t make it go away. If Steve taught me anything it was that if you confront the pain, it’s easier to defeat it.”

“Yeah but you have Steve to confront it with. Who do I have? I’m sat with a rich alcoholic who’s had a spat with his boyfriend. If I ran away no one would notice.”

“That’s not true.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I don’t, but you said you were humiliated in front of 50 people at your birthday party. That’s 50 people that turned up to celebrate your birthday, including the guy that you’re so adamant will never love you. First time I met Steve I thought he was the most annoying being that I could have ever set eyes on; now look.” Tony shrugged, convincing himself to go home while trying to make this girl feel better.

“Do you know what it’s like to be in a room full of people who are there in your name but feeling alone and that they’re there entirely for how it will look that they were there? Not because they actually give a shit about you?”

“Yes.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“Do you want money for a bus home?”

“No thanks. I just want to sit here for a bit.”

“Have these.” Tony handed her the remaining 3 beers.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m going to go make the most of Steve. Thanks, for talking and all that.” Tony mumbled – he wasn’t good at courtesy.

“Hey, sir?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s your name?”

“Tony Stark.”

“The guy with the metal suit and the big building downtown?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for listening to me.”

Tony smiled and left the girl to it. “Wait.” He turned back. “What’s your name? Oh.” But she’d gone; the beers still on the bench. “Hey, kid!” Tony called – he couldn’t see her. “Girl, where did you go? I wasn’t done helping.” Tony called, running back towards the bench to see if he could find her. He saw her on another bench further along, hidden by bushes.

She was curled over her legs sobbing. Tony picked up the beers and walked back over to her. After a moment, he put his hand on her back, trying to be comforting but unsure how to do so.

“Sorry.” She muttered, her voice still cracked – her eyes still tearing. “I just can’t hold it all in, I just- can’t.”

“You don’t have to. Come back with me, just for one night. I’ll get you home in the morning.”

“I can’t take you up on that.”

“Yes you can. You made me feel better, now it’s time to return the favour. C’mon kid, let’s get you a coat or something.” Tony took her arm and walked her back to the tower, settling her on the couch with a blanket and she was flat out minutes later.

The next morning, Tony and Steve were as close as ever without having to pass a word, an explanation or an apology.

Tony’s friend wasn’t on the couch when he went through. There was a note that said ‘Tony, thanks for the comfort, the beer and the couch’ – she didn’t leave a name or any contact details.

He never did hear from her again. But it restored his faith in humanity a bit; not everyone knew who he was, not everyone would judge him for being an alcoholic and sometimes helping another is more comforting than solving your own problem.


End file.
